Claire Macdonald, Executive Director, NATPE Global and Mary Maddever, Executive Vice President of Realscreen spoke with TVMAS about the amplified program for 2025 at the highly anticipated event in Miami.
“The Realscreen Summit, the largest and most influential gathering of the unscripted content industry worldwide, will take place from February 3 to 5 for the first time in Miami as part of NATPE in a vibrant event”. Mary Maddever.
NATPE Global returns to the InterContinental Miami from February 5-7, following Realscreen Summit, the largest and most influential global unscripted industry gathering, on February 3-5. This creates a one-stop shop for the global content community, and while both events will retain their unique identities the schedule is designed to allow attendees to easily participate in both. The timing allows executives extra time to prepare for the market after the winter holidays.
“We’re delighted to confirm a strong lineup of leading global studios who are committed as anchor exhibitors including Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, BBC Studios, FOX Entertainment Global, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, Paramount Global Content Distribution, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, among others. Their commitment underscores NATPE Global’s growing significance on the calendar and highlights the tremendous support across the entertainment sector. We also have more than 300 buyers spanning 35 countries registered, signaling a busy market for networking, deal-making and content showcasing. We are also happy to report that there will be a robust turnout from the international production community, as a significant number of Realscreen Summit attendees are opting to stay for the entire week. While it’s really too early to tell where the final numbers will land, we are trending significantly ahead of last year, when the all-in number was over 1,500.
Why not hold the event right after the week of the C21 event, (CONTENTAMERICA) to facilitate the participation of visitors to Miami in January? Do you think the chosen date is a good strategy?
After each market, we carefully review attendee feedback through surveys and follow-ups to assess timing and logistics. We considered various options and found that the week we selected best suits our participants’ needs, offering an all-in content marketplace for the global community. Based on the enthusiastic response we’ve received so far, it’s clear that this decision has resonated well.
What is the program of activities for this important event in Miami 2025?
We are still finalizing the overall program however some key highlights include Roku’s Head of Content David Eilenberg, who will deliver the keynote address on the crossover day – Wednesday February 5 – to a combined audience of NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit delegates, and WAWA’s prestigious Woman of the Year Award presentation, which will take place on Thursday, February 6.
Realscreen Summit kicks off on Monday, February 3, with a keynote address from Jason Sarlanis, President of TNT, TBS, truTV, ID, and HLN, Linear and Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery. That same day, the Realscreen Showdown will award a US$20,000 development deal, presented by Partners in Kind.
As an expert in the industry, what is your perception of the pace of production, buyers and sellers, especially with vulnerable economies and countries at war?
Our Advisory Boards are comprised of decision makers who navigate myriad market challenges every day, so universal factors like the economy and the impact of consolidation were an important lens in shaping the program this year.
The content planning discussion centred on how to pivot for the evolving market reality, and the guidance was to identify where new opportunities are emerging. So, the agenda will explore strategies that are working by diving into the ways collaboration, innovation and new partnerships are creating a path forward.
NATPE & REAL SCREEN. TIME VERSUS PROFITABILITY
“Locating the two events under one roof is the answer to the changing pace of the market, to create a cost-effective and time-efficient way for delegates to expand their connections and do more business” explains Mary Maddever, Executive VP of Realscreen and Strategy, Editorial Director of Brunico, to TVMAS
Redacción TVMAS